Printing-controlled electric sign.



M. comes. I PRINTING CONTROLLED EBEGTBIO SIGN.

APPLIOATIOI FILED AUG. 16, 1911. ,9'77. Patented Apr. 14, 19M

3 8HEETS-8HBET 1.

YWITWESSES M0154 CmPas man/45y M. COMPOS.

PRINTING CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SIGN..

APPLICATION FILED AUG 16, 1911.

- Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, O amomdoz W Snow;

fsTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

fastener. source, or monILn, ALABAMA.

To'all whom it ma concern:

Be-it knownat;.I, Mronnn Comros, a citizen of-the Unitedstates-ofwkmerica, and resident of Mobile, in the county of Mobile andState of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPrintinfi-Controlled Electric Signs, of which the 0 owing is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inelectric lamp signs, and it pertains more particularly to the means forcontrollin the display of electric lights in a changeab e illuminatedsign, advertising lant, announcement-board, bulle tin or 0t er device,employing a switch board, with means whereby the'said means may beunlimited in its capacity'of expression and capable of bein operated toimmediately reduce in the'dlsplay of lights, any words, etters, orcharacters, or pictures, as be desired. he present invention has for itsobjects among others to provide a simple, yet eflicient and'reliablemeans for controlling the display of the electric lights by a system ofprinting or the use of 'letters. or other suitable symbols controlled atwill by the operator, said letters or other symbols being readilychanged as may be desired and when in position controllin by means ofthe perforations in the car s, the lighting of the electric 1i hts.

A card is placed in position; the electrical contacts engage theinsulation thereof except at points where the perforations are made toform the outline of the letter, picture or other character, and wherethe contacts enter such perforations they engage the metal plate onwhich-the card or cards may be mounted and complete the circuit, causingthe corresponding letters, words, pictures or other characters to besimultaneously displayed on the bulletin, announcement-board,

advertisement or other place. I further pro- 1 vide for the cutting outof the display, and by proper connections with a flashing devicemayfla-sh the display all night, or as long as maybe desired. I

I aim further at improvements in the details of construction, wherebyI-am enabled' .to construct my apparatusat minimum cost and permit ofthe ready assemblage of parts or their removal for the purpose ofrepairs, 1 changes or. for any other purpose.

Specification of Letters raaiu t t 14,1914, Application filed August 16,1911. Serial No. 644,348.

Other objects and advantages of the inventlon will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be specifically. de-

, given only as an example of one form but without in any wayrestricting myself thereto. 4

The invention, in such preferred form, is

part 2 of this trolling plates, removed. Fig. 5 shows in perspective oneofthe contact selectors, with its partsseparated for the purpose ofbetter illustration. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an apparatusembodying my improvements,

showing the announcement-board and the switchboard or printing plate inoperative relation. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view, showing the circuits,etc.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In my present construction groups or monograms of lamps aresimultaneously op-' erated by a device consisting of parallel series ofspring-actuated circuit-selectors arranged to contact with ametallicplate and complete the circuit through correspondingly-arrangedcircuit-wires, the coacting groups thereof being determined by theperforations in the printing or controlling plate. These plates areplaced one at a time in a receptacle or box embracing the groups ofcircuitwires, the plate covering all of the circuit wires except thosepredetermined by the perforations :inthe controlling plate, accordingto; the letters, words, or pictures or other characters to be displayed,and these are exposed through and by the openings in the plate andpermit of the passage of the spring-actuated circuit-selectors toelectric contact-with the plate-when said plate is secured in position,soas to insure operative contact between the selectors and the plateproperly insulated so as to insure against short circuitiug, and thedifferent. elements of the device are capable of manufacture at smallcost, and can be readily assembled without skilled labor.

Referring'to the drawings 1 designates a board or the like which may besupported upon suitable icet or otherwise, in a horizonial, inclined orother position, as may be found, most expedient. -In th1s board are,

i l .1 l i supported the cirruit-selectors, which may =1 be of anydesired number, running up into the thousands, if necessary. .is thesecircuit-selectors are all alike, a description of one will sutiice forall. Attention, therefore, is directed to Figs. 3 and 5, wherein it willbe seen. that a metal cylindrical, or other shape, body piece 3 isdisposed vertically in a suitable openingin the board 1, this body piecebeing screw threaded at its opposite ends as seen at 1' and Within thisbody piece is arranged a spring 6, the ends of the body piece extendingbeyond the upper and lower faces-of the board as seen in Fig. 3, thelower end receiving a cap 7, and the other end a cap 8. These caps serveto hold the body piece firmly, in the board and permit of readyseparation when desired. The cap 8 has a central opening 9 in its outerend through whichloosely works the outer end of the contact member 10,the inner end of which is received in the body piece 3 and has a head orenlargement 11 against which one end of the spring 6 bears as shownclearly in Fig. 3. The spring tends normally to project the end of thecontact mem ber 10 through the opening 9 in the end of the cap 8.Through the cap 7 there is an openinginto which leads one end of a wire12 the other end of which is connected with the socket of the lamp atthe sign where the display is to be made. It is to be understood thatone of such wires is connected with each of the circuit-selectordevices, as will be apparent from Figs. 3, 6 and 7 The board 1, thusequipped, constitutes the base of the device at the office or otherplace from which the control of the display is had.

For thepurpose of guiding the controller plates, soon to be described,as-they are placed in position upon this board, I place upon the uppersurface of the board 1 at the corners the corner or angle plates 13which serve not only as guides for the said plate but also to preventlateral and longitudinal shifting of the plate after once having beenplaced in position. These maybe of any suitable character and 'afiixedto the upper face of the' board in any well known way.

The controlling plate, now to be described,

can be arranged in many ways, it may be arranged to slide, it may behinged, or it may be made to be placed in posltion and through aidperforations. The parts are removed by hand, by being lifted vertically.

The latter is herein illustrated. This controlling plate comprises abase 14 of wood or other suitable material of a size calculated to fitwithin the space inclosed by the corner pieces on the board 1, as seenclearly in Fig. 3, and to the under face of this base lal is afiixed inany well known way a metal plate, preferably brass, 15, the oppositeedges of which are turned over as seen at 16 to form opposite guidesinto which the cards now to be described may be easily slid or placedand easily removed and by which the cards are held against displacement.An insulating strip 17 is secured to the said plate at one end as seenin Fig. 4.

The cards 18 are formed of fiber or other suitable insulating materialand are adapted to be fitted in the metal plate within the guidesthereof as seen in Figs. 3 and 4;. Each card is provided withperforations, according to the letter, figure or character which it isdesigned to represent and which is to be correspondingly displayed onthe sign, bulletin or announcement-board, or other display device. InFig. 4 there are four of these cards within the plate on the base, andthese are perforated to display the word Hats it being understood thatother a lever 21 pivoted at one end as at 22 on the board 1, in anysuitable manner, as upon a pivot held in the bifurcation of a bracket orupright 23, its other end being provided with a suitable handle 24 andadapted to engage a suitable catch, hook or the like 25 rising from theboard 1. A spring plate 26 may further be provided if necessary againstwhich the said lever presses as seen in figures the said spring platebeing if desired secured to the under side of the lever as shown at 27.This tends to equalize the pressure. The wires 12 leading from thecircuit-selectors are connected each with a. lamp socket 28 of thedisplay sign, bulletin or annunciator-board 29, which may be located inany desired lace and at all times under the control 0 the operator atthe printing or controlling plate hereinbefore described. All the wires12 may be arranged in a cable as shown in Fig. 6, or otherwise.Extending from the wires 12 there may be branch wires 30 as seen in Fig.6, one for each wire, and these branch wires ma lead to a flashingdevice whereby when esired the printing operation may be discontinuedand the display flashed all ni ht-or as long" as. ma' 'be desired; Itwill )e understood that t e Wire 12 from each circuit-selector extendsto one terminal of the lamps; the

other terminals of the respectivelamps are connected to a single circuit31, which in cludes a current-generator or source of electrical energyas represented at 32.

33 is a circuit-switch with which the wire 20 from the brass plate 15'leads as seen in Fig. '4' which shows in diagram the circuits etc. Thiscircuit-breaker or switch' is designedv to be operated before the plateIt is placed in position to shutofi' the current :iintil afterthecontrolling plate has been placed in positioiaso as to avoid flashing;After the controlling switch is turned. 7

t r The operation will in connection with the annexed drawings,

n nth brieflyh stated as "foll nvs: The parts being connected up as seenin Figf-(i, the controlling plateis put in position,- contain; ing asmany cardsas may benecessary and those perforated according to thedesign to be displayed; The controlling plate'is held down to o erativeposition' fby the lever 21,

and its spring and thelswitch is their turnedh to turnon'the current.vThosefleontact mem bers 10 which are noteoi-neidentflwitlr theperforations in the eardsl areengaged with, "the insulation 17. which('tlVtlQ he-si'lr'face' of the brass plate except; where.perforated;those contact members 10 which arecoii'ieb dent with the perforations'inthecards enter said perforations and cilnnin', in contact with the brassplate eom 'ilete the eircu'itfla nl the corresponding lampsliliillt)"illlilll'lltltflthr- I lie: fen-ring to Fig. 7 it willbenotedthat -be-w board or ad vertising Sign arirfil'igihtedl ginning at theleft. the first anit-second; the fourth, the sixth. seventlfrand eighth;and

'- the eleventh contact inemberslflare entered in the perforatioi'is ofthe cards. the correspending lamps'at the right of saiditigure;

beginning at the bottom. are shown as lighted. To change a card, thelever 21 jis re leased, after having first turned the. switch 33 .toshut off the current. the controlling plate is removed and another\vilhditl'erent cards put in pcsition. or the same plate may be used b vremoving the ohl cards and substitnting therefor others with otherarrange ments of perforations in accordance with the display to be made.\Vhenthe'controlling plate is removed there of-eonrse will be no displaymade on the-"sign the same resnltis attained by the turnin shut oil thecurrent. I used as a flash by means of the branch wires 30 which permitof the running of the sign as-a flasher as maybe desired.

From the above it will be seen that I have plate is inl'position the bereadily understood, from the foregoingdescription when; taken of theswitch 83 to henthe sign may be devised a very simple; yet eflicientdevice for the controlling of the display by a printing l system, andwhile the structural embodiment of the invention as hereinbeforedisclosed is what I, at the present time, consider preferable, it isevident that thesame is subject to out departingfrom the spirit of theinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages; I therefore do notlntend to restrict myself to the exact details hereinbefore describedandshown. but reserve the right to makevsuch changes, "airiations andmodifications as come properly w tection prayed. v v

What is claimed ,asnew. is':-' "f i t L 1. In a device of the characterstated, a circuit-selector comprising a body piece; removable eaps;therefor; a s'prin 'actiiated member insaid-body piece" and iaving oneend projecting through one of said caps, a controlling plate ,and a;card of insulating "and having perforations "some of which are adapted 1tom selectors; In a idev' a. cireiiitlselet removable caps therefoig andfa spring-ache t i v l f l d? 0 1)" piece and having onndprojectingithron h. one 'ofsaid caps;

therefor ha \filr g 'j guides; an insulating strip. and a card ofinsulating ma t'e'ria'l memorably held, in said guides and, ha vingperforations, so reef which a're'a'daptcd to; receive some ofisaideircuit selectors.'

cultselectors with springeaetu'ated contact edgest'urned to form guidesan insulatin {member of insnlatingmaterial held in saidguidesaverticalneinbers earriei'lgby said board and, serving as gui les='t'or saidplate 7 and l'ltiltllllg the latter against lateral and longitudinalshifting. a'leverpivoted atone 3 longitudinal shifting. a lever pivotedat one s end on said board andv extendlng longitudiithin the scope ofthe proreceive some of I said circuitof the character 'describ'edj.

comprising a body iplece,

nieinlxws. 'a controlling 'plate'comprisingl'a baset'a- -inetal|1c,plate. thereon having its str'i-pat one end of said guides. aperforatefend on said board and extending longitudi nallvv thereof. and. means forholding the changes. variations and n'iodifications'Twith material 1rem-Ovably supported on said plate and holding the latter againstlateral and combined with {a ".eontrolling plate, a support v nildeviceof the chaialeterdescribed,' a. board prov ded .withaiimltiplicityjof 'elr nuliy thereof, means for holding the oppo- Signedby me at \Vashington, D. C., this site end in its luwvi-inost position,and a 1 16th day ofAngnst, 1911.

spring (-ai'i'iod by the nndewide of said X a y iL'YQl'jlDd extending inthe direction of the MHJHBJL QOM] length thereof and hearing at itsends? Witnesses: against said plate to equzdizv the pressure HUGH M.STERLING,

thereof on the said vircuit-sulector I E. H. BOND.

